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ozamrr 00/HO scale indoor,outdoor garden railway


ozamrr
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Thanks Mathew, those tracks should be my staging what I am lacking, looking into vertical staging yard, there is a mom in the UK  does a motorised vertical staging yard need to win th elotto to buy one of them. does

I be working on the bus wiring will take a week got that down to a fine art now, bought a pair of wir strippers to strip the bus wire mid stream with ease, I also use that heat shrink tubing in stead of electrician tape, lasts for ever.

 

Have being redrawing my track plan with the new  changes, looks like the Tehachapi loop has being reborn, is what I sarted of modelling wan't waorking out where I had it working out well where it is now on the track plan .bus wiring

 

Once this modules wiring is done and the second one willl test run the first loco, getting exciting, I will have to link up all the bus wiring together.to run the loco through all the points.onto approach track either end , be buying some more track tomorrow.

 

Tony from warm down under peaked 26 degrees today 17 over the weekend will make the most of it working on the bus wiring.

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Busy day yesterday, I planned the second module after the approach module car port end mock-up point plan worked out well, to know where the lines  lines of the track and points I nailled in nails for when I paint the module.

 

The approach module is ready to start working on the bus wiring, ,drilled all the holes for the feeder wires and pushed them through, the fun begins, will take a few days, also painted the mini bus wire plug panel and  numbered the plugs.

 

 

Tony from could down under, a month of winter to go.

 

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Afternoon Mathew, yes the strips are the PCB brassed plated curcuit board, I still need to cut a guve in the brass before putting any power into the track do that with a small hack saw.

 

Progress well t=with the start of the bus wireing, I decided  todo the blocks closer to the the panel that didn't need alot of wire and track feeders.\,  half is done, wont be back to the layout till Thursday now, being redrawing the mai track amd module plan, alos working on the planning of my double deck bridge,be a modern design with a main 10ft span.

 

Not as cold as it get in England though we be in trouble if it did lowest we had one winter was -5 degrees,, yeah does slow things down same in those hot summer days .

 

Tony from down under, was a warm 27 degrees be 5 over night 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Tony.

 

Looks really good. Your wiring is alot neater than mine. PCB sleepers are great - fantastic for point building. We've have had lots and lots of rain here, so I should have spent time working on indoor modelling, but have been a little distracted. Hoping to make up for it this weekend!

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Thanks Mathew, yeah has to be to make it easier to trace a problem,with the main line bus wires being a diferent colour and thicker  wire as well, I be working on the bus wiring again over the weekend the next 6 blocks be the hardest to solder the feeder wires to  the bus wire, I may have to add in another DPDT switch to cut the power to half of one block for when I am shunting the INdian Pacific locos t the end of her journey a few lapes of the layout, would be nice if I could of had track aroudn the whole house.

 

Being looking at buying a sports HD video camera they are cheap enough to buy now to mount onto a flat wagon or modifyied loco tofilm the first test loco to run on the whole layout, will time how long it takes as well.

 

The points on the mock-up module last post I am going to change to left hand points keeping the mainline line straight, with right hand points wouldn't be any good for hgh speed trains, was thinking of scratch bulding them take too long, like to have a go when I need more.

 

A pain with the rain over there,no rain here, days are getting warmer 29 degress one day next week, westerly winds haven't hit us as yet, time towork on indoor projects.

 

 

Tony from down under.

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Tony.

 

Well I'm sure you are about half way round the house, could always carry on.  :angel:

 

You can get cheap chinese knockoffs of those sport cameras on ebay. The quality isn't great but for taking a video while bouncing around on a wagon they are fine. I found a little keyfob one which just fits in the cabs of some of my engines.

 

We finally had a couple of dry days which has helped me get outside. Just need to do a load of gardening first!

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Evening Mathew, still daylight 9.36pm your time, would love those extra hours, we have had in the past daylight saving getting up an hour early the farmers complain it upsets there cows we are the only sate that doesn't have it where the clock winds back an hour.

 

I was at the post office and they had a Thomason brand for $89 not bacd too big to fit insde a loco as you sa there are smaller ones out there, this one has a remote as well leave that to  closer to Christmas time do want to do a video infront of the loco.

 

Wpnt need to wire in DPDT switch now, I use insulfrog points and cross overs, and it will be only two blocks affected not the main line now but if I had frog points be a different matter a friend gave me a buss bar circut does work be buying those two needed  points today want to have a go at scratch building one.

 

Cool mornig here  1 degrees to a nice 24 degree day, westerly winds are building up quite strong yerterday.

 

Back into finishing the bus wiring tomorrow two blokcs to go and solder the feeder wires to the tack wont take long got that soldering down to a fine art., I will get stuck into the next two modules and curved track decking in the car port around to the back corner module, atleast all the decking has being cut just need to cut and screw the side bracing in place level them, going to be fun as the car  port  floor isn't level, I also hve a special jig made for the level for doing grades quater inch a foot .

 

I still may keep to the 18inch clearence on the bridge to the water line since the spiral is at the the other end may only be a slight grade to the bridge, nearly there still lots more a head and only able to work on the layout at the most  three days and that isn't all day, got plenty of lenght to play with the grade  be on single track.

 

Tony from down under.

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Afternoon everyone in the UK, days are warmin gup here neck week peaking 32 degrees they say the hotest August in record since 2008 no rain in site nights are still cold dropping down to 3 here over night, going t make the most of the mild weather befre summer hits.

 

Friday I finished soldering in the feeder wires to the bus wies and made a start on the soldering the feeder wires to the track still have 7 pairs of feeder wires to solder to the track, job for Monday.

 

The last two pics  of the mock-up point plan to the next module, I decided to buy two left hand points to straighten up the main line and easier for the trains coming into the platfor track, in the second pic to the right of the pic tracks 3 and 4  is now accessed by the two right hand points, left hand point through the cross over. The blocks on the main line ends at the left hand point block 3 and after the right hand point block 15 I will be having working signals especially when I switch over to DCC and that could be pretty soon, looking at NCE be setting up Wi-Fi to control the trains.

 

I have desided to design my own double deck bridge,basing it on the LUPU Bridge in China like the design of the arch works out to be 2ft arch height above the main deck 20inch to the water line, mine be 18 inches.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupu_Bridge

 

 

Will make a start on the bridge onceI reach the back of the house,looking at 14foot main arch in two sections, worked out how I be joining the bridge up, arches be  cut in smaller lengths to save on too much ply wastage.

 

Tony from down under

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have completed a milestone have reached the side of the car port with the track decking, still a lot of working ahead I levelled the third module past the station modules so I could mark the sides of the module ran out of the usual time I put doown a couple of pieces of 12mm plyat each end saving me in having to do the marking twice.

 

The second modle still needs two middle beams and where I had to into the side to level it I be cutting th cut back a couple of feet so I can put in a couple of pavers, pain tit and start all over again nailloing down rack four points and a diamond cross over it is pretty was my brother-in-laws when he was into the hobby back in the 80's, calling it JC's interchange. The third module will be the approach module for the next statage of my station module complex.and also have a turn table siding run off it as well, to chang steamy's around and when I am modelling Amtraks Auto train terminal on the east coast, I have 9 super linesr need another 7 and will have to scratch built the auto wagons can't get them in HO scale only N scale.

 

When I set the modules up again will have to run a string line to the back of the house where it be 6 inches higher plenty of room fo a 24ft ramp quarter inch a foot working out 2 percent grade, on a high.

 

Mathew, I foubd out when I dhad that update wasn't win10 the problem it was edge, that be changing I am switching to Google Chrome where the spell check works.

 

Tony from down under

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yesterday I rebuilt my cross cutting circular saw jig and it now is a portable jig and made a bar clamp using 3/8inch threaded rod , will build the clamp much better later, ran out of time to screw in place the secon saw angle line runner, I plan to go to a hobby expo in the next suburb if I ge a chance to get back to finishing the jig hopefully is square.

 

I get all my ideas off you tube mazing what is out there, those bar clamps come in handy, I did have metal bar clamps to big, may be I should tart a new thread on what tools everyone uses to build their layouts and projects with.

 

Back to the layout construct one day next week.

 

Tony from down under.

 

 

 

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Here are a couple of pics of my latest loco  project modellin g Santa Fe's Super Chief , locos are F7/A-B-B-A all locos are powered a bit of a mix match of brands, fist loco has a Bachman chassic, I just put back together again after quite a few years, some missing parts needed , fuel tank cover and the replacement Santa Fe Athearn shell will have to be modifyed to fit the Bachman chassis.

 

The second pic, the two black locos F7/Bs the first one is powereed Athearn, second one I am waiting  from US eBay for an Athearn F7/A loco to arrive, the shell be replacing the brown F7 shell and power unit for the second B shell, last loco is a Life Like brand.. I was going to modif a Tyco F7 shell but too muxh work and decided to bite the dust and buy an Athearn loco powered, some good bargains  out there , a set I have aways wanted to own , the SFABBA pic is how they trun out like when finished, plan to pul about 15  passenger cars behind the locos be aawesome site indeed.

 

Tony from down under.

 

 

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The latest update, the second car port module is finished ready for painting ans have moved onto the third module, I have com up with a better idea of screwing the module sides on using those corner clamps to hold the side upright making it easier to screw the ply pot on, wish  thought of this idea much earlier .

 

Pic two shows how I join the modules where I can't use bolts and when joining the modules together the tracks line up every time, pic 3 shows pushing the  two modules together, pic 4 when screwed together  and last pic of both modules .

 

Mathew, I sorted out the spell check problem, I am using Google Chrome,, it was the big update with win 10 that upset Edge and knocked out spell check, still learning to get around Chrome,

the password is a little tricky, wont accept cap lock on other forums pain.

 

After the third module is the big 12 foot quarter  7 ft long curve .

 

Tony from down under.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have painted the last two modules and started nailing down track and points .

 

Pic one, the yellow Union Pacific coach on the front module and pic two with diamond cross over two points for access the third track with the coach on is an Island platform terminus track, I wont be modelling Sydney Central station as I planned to be cutting back the station modules remodeling the station building to fit what I have.

 

 

Sadly my son passed away two weeks back today, he lost his fight to Muscular Dystrophy , his heart  just stopped, the specialist said doing compression's wouldn't of helped was 31 too early , still can't believe what has happened,was very quick, no pain what the doc said.

 

One day we will have to down size to a unit or hopefully a town house where there is a small back yard for a small garden railway, I be keeping on going with my layout fingers crossed a train running by Christmas, the hold up run out of track.

 

The third pic showing the double slip going to be a night mare selecting  the right track for the train to go into a job for the controller.

 

The last pic, I came up with a quicker idea for the module track joins, taking too long to  drill holes and solder the brass platted strips, decided to cut track pieces instead, come up with screwing small screws to hold the track in place instead of using the rail joiners, I will still have to solder in feeder wires and join the feeder wires to the bus wires when plugging in the wires to the bus wire panel next module.

 

We are having a taste o summer this week yesterday was 37 today 38, a breather tomorrow 32 and Thursday 39 degrees, cooler weekend so will make the most of working on the layout..

 

I am also into wood turning  and turning a weather station for my brothers 70th birthday that will take a week  , three weather insets, size 100 mm square piece of wood.

 

Tony from down under

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Latest update, my wife told  me I had to cut back the lenght of the layout back so I did by 8 feet, at this stage I won't be having any track into the car port only 18 inches, wasn't enought lenght to get up six inches, moved the spiral, to the car port end, worked out well, can plan some scenery there with a tunnel.

 

Has also worked out well with the bridge, in pic three the 6ft piece of ply coming off the spiral , the bridge will start, 14 feet span, havin't made up my mind if the beidge be a double deck road rail wait till Istart working on the bridge.

 

Fourth pic is a cut out of the top deck with bow and stern, the stern has a second deck below it, won't be sarting on the ship till I can work out the height of the hull, length is 2.150  meters, beam 305 mm's in 87  scale I will check out if I have the beam measurements right, ship beam is 26.5 meters wide, I devided it by 87.

 

Once I finish working on my brothers 70th birdthday present, making him a weather station with two weather inturments and a clock, be in a 100mm square piece wood blank and  the only turning needed is the base, take a week.

 

Back into the layout building the spiral I have a level jig made at quarter inch a foot, every 3 and a half feet up inch and 3 quarter, a slight set back, but lateI plan to expand the layout norther end, at the mement a few changes needed hopefully be enogh leght to gain 6 inches, need 24 feet.

 

The last pic is the ship I am modelling, look good comming out under the bridge.

 

Tony from down under.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Back into the layout construction with the changes to the shortening the layout 8 feet, I pulled down two modules not needed any more, one module I am using the top and sides and sides of the one before it, I also moved the diamond cross over and points to the approach module car port end with a big improvement, Will have re solder the feeder wires to the bus line and a new smaller block .

 

The changes are in pics one and two front module, pic four and five I finely using the short 6 inch Bachmann cross over would lie to of used left hand points didn't hand any only right hand which should be ok coming out of the 7 foot quarter curve.

 

Pic six is the marking of the curve and the module will depend on how the 12 foot curve fits in, pic seven is module join to the approach module and second corner module, I do plan to at a latter date run a single track line into the car port and connect the back  of the house corner module and onto the bridge.

 

I have finely worked out the height of the ship, 14 inches high from the water line, will give 4 inches clearance from under neath  the bridge 18 inches from the water.

 

Some hot days coming up will work on the ship, will depend on Saturday.

 

Tony from hot down under.

 

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Morning Owd Bob, yeah sure is, that would of being non-thing to what I did have planned, the track and point work is based on Sydney Central station complex, I was planning to model have of Sydney Central don't think I be able to now unless I win the lotto, was modelling 8  terminus platform  and three suburban platforms, Sydney had 28 platforms 15 are terminus ones, most important platform 1 to 4  where the Indian Pacific departs and arrives once a week now. 

 

Yes the heat and humidity plays a big factor in the rails of HO/00 scale track can buckle pretty bad, I have made gaps between the track and points so if the rails did buckle, wont break the points have seen that at my track club and their layout in  in a  building.

 

This is why I went module so the layout isn't outside facing the weather conditions, can reach 42 degrees in the sun and has buggered up two digital weather stations, taking longer to build, all my station modules are bolted together looking at changing to a different idea to speed up the setting up of the layout, all my bus wires are plug and play, with a bus wire panel one on every second module end.

 

Wasn't to bad today, we had 10 degrees over night, would of being a good day for working on the layout see what tomorrow is and depend on my asthma which is playing up can slow things down, had a hair cut appointment anyway.

 

In my last post 31st of October I moved the short cross over down which cut out that S bend, looks a lot better, haven't loaded the pics onto the lap top yet, will see how I feel  tomorrow, asthma is playing up, might be ale to get stuck into cutting the module top to fit the approach module and screw the sides back on, taking a while, I had a set back in September, son passed away lost his fight to MD.

 

Tony from down under

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  • 3 weeks later...

Being awhile since I have being on, being busy with Queensland State election, three days to go to election day, full on day at the polling booth where I will be.

 

Only being able to do a day here and there, the days I want to work on the layout it is raining, not as bad last Sunday started fixing up the front corner module, had a bit of trouble with the top of the module, fixed up the end that joined to the approach module got to do the other end as well, wasn't cut square with timber is an easy fix.

 

In pics 1,2 and 3, pic 1 and 2 module join end sorted out , pic three have to cut off 11 mm's on one side of the module and top, have done this in the past, works out well.

 

Pics 4 and 5,I be cutting away the bridge on both modules in pic 5 as well and making the bridge a lift out piece, I don't think I be modelling Sydney Station now, looking for a replacement  that looks like Sydney as I will not be building the other 3 station modules, concentrating on getting the trains up and running with what I have already, have cut back the layout 7 feet as well shifted the spiral.

 

I am not sure how long we will stay here, since our son passed away last September, don't have my wood later anymore , donated it to the local Men's shed, lost interest in wood turning freed up space in the garden shed for the modules, made my wife happy, only have two modules out I am working on.

 

Next week be full swing into working on the layout, a big set back in September and November, aiming for April next year now or earlier.

 

Tony from wet down under.

 

 

 

 

 

  

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So sorry for your great loss Tony, i'm in a similar position myself at the moment with my younger Sister having just a few weeks to live, so i know it's really hard trying to get and keep motivated, i do trawl through this site every day and like to read and catch up with what others are doing, i don't post or say much but i'm hanging in here trying to stay interested and motivated, you are a very brave Man and good example for me to carry on at the mo' and i hope to keep going just like you are Tony. Well done on the recent doings! Very wet and cold here today. 

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Evening Owd Bob, many thanks for the kind words, feel the same for you too, very hard to take in when you are told the out come, I also feel for your parents as well, we knew when we found out by our son  having  grommet surgery both ears he had MD wasn't going to live a normal life , he was 31 when he passed away, 

 

Is your sister in hospital still or home, with our son he passed way very quickly his  chest muscles gave out, happened at home making it even harder to accept.

 

Got to try and keep busy, getting back into the layout now, while I can till it gets too hot to work outside, will move onto the spiral once the corner module is fixed up and  painted.

 

Where do you live northern east coast of America, must be getting cold over there now, what scale do you model and where can I find your post on the forum.

 

It is a nice day here, pity I have to go out campaigning after lunch, easy job driving a ute and trailer around with a friend  in  the electorate   I am in State seat.

 

Tony from down under

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  • 2 weeks later...

The front northern end corner module is finished, track,points and a diamond cross over has being nailed down, plastic joiners in place right hand track off the points ready to begin soldering the feeder wires to the bus wires, before that I have to fix up the front corner southern end module and first station module double track bridge,. It is too hard to connect the bus wires to the bus wire plug and joining the bridge to the front corner module, so have decided to make that double track bridge one piece  and screw th bus wire connection plug to the end of the module saving me to get on my hands and knees, should of done this in the first place. 

 

The bridge also making it heavy to pic up the module and wont need to unscrew the other piece of ply, actually I may never complete my station complex,cutting the station complex back as well, looking at another station building or modify Sydney Central to fit to a smaller version of Sydney Central.

 

Pic four is the bridge  I be modifying to be one piece lift out bridge, the other bridge with the arch stay the same.

 

My ship and bridge scene is edging all that closer,I fienly got the needed ship drawing of the RO, Ro ship I am modelling and have asked my brother in law if he could print the plans, not knowing how to use DWG format he is a building engineer comes in handy

 

Tony from down under

 

 

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Last post pic, out with the old and in with the new, I bought a tin of undercoat had it mixed to gray colour, going to be a hot day tomorrow no work out side, cooler change coming in on Sunday , yard work and paint the bridge, may be able to get the track nailed back down and solder in place plastic brass coated plates to the track on the bridge model joins and cut the track.

 

I be able to pack the two modules away in the garden shed, not leaving out any modules out under the pergola while we go away over Christmas, leaving next Sunday, have to tidy up the yard as well, be no point in baking a start on the spiral either..

 

Finely got the ship drawing be starting work on that project tomorrow in the nice cool dining room.

 

Tony from  hot down under

 

 

 

 

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More good progress Tony,  i don't think i've ever had to pack in doing any garden jobs or anything else over here because its been too hot Tony! :derisive:  Snow is positively forecast around here for tomoz and over the weekend! :yahoo:  so hopefully i can go play in it and get a few pics'  :mosking:

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